Suicide Squad #1Review

The cover of Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller #1 promises, in bombastic text, that the issue deals with the idea of Amanda Waller making tough choices. And the book, by Jim Zub, Andre Coelho, and Scott Hanna delivers on that promise, but takes the notion to an even deeper level. Being Amanda Waller isn't about making tough choices -- it's mostly about dealing with them. The first issue is a fascinating, action-packed exploration of the toll it takes on a person to do what other people can't and won't.

You're probably familiar with the Suicide Squad, but a quick primer: it's a group of criminals recruited to do jobs too unseemly for heroes. Waller's position is to act as a sort of ringleader for the deranged, whose lives, she's come to realize are valued less because of their sins. But this knowledge doesn't sit easy with her.

Coelho's pencils, Hanna's inks, and Andrew Dalhouse's colors create for a visual style that isn't overly innovative, but there are a few artistic gems to ogle, including an evocative play on a standard twelve-panel layout during a plane crash and a clever use of silhouettes after. For a book that's full of so many explosions, it's remarkable how human the story feels. We see Waller negotiating with the cost of her soul and by the final page, we learn that sometimes, there are no heroes and villains. Just tragic stories with tragic endings.

Melissa Grey wears Green Lantern pajamas to bed and writes stories for a living. She can be found on MyIGN at MelissaGrey or lurking on Twitter @meligrey.

Great

Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller #1 is an action-packed exploration on the psychological costs of making the tough choices.